# Chapter 5. Managing your files

A common metaphor of graphical desktops is the use of folders to represent directories on your hard disk. Folders contain files and other folders. A KDE application called kfm, the K File Manager, uses this metaphor to help you manage your files.

# 5.1. Using kfm

The first time you start KDE, a window with lots of icons in it appears. This is a kfm window displaying the files in your home directory (the area where your personal files are stored). The pathname of the folder is displayed under the window's toolbar. If you don't see such a window now, click the icon on the panel that looks like a folder with a picture of a house.

To open a file or folder, simply click it once with the left mouse button. Clicking on the folder with two dots (..) takes you back one directory level. You can also choose View > Show Tree from the menu to display the folder hierarchy for more direct navigation. Or you can edit the path displayed under the toolbar, using the tab key to complete directory names, to get to a specific directory quickly.

## 5.1.1. Opening Files

KDE comes with a set of applications to view and edit many common kinds of files, and when you click a file containing, say, a document or image, kfm will start the appropriate application to display the file. If it doesn't know what application to start to open a file you clicked, kfm will prompt you for the name of the application to run.

Technical Note: kfm uses MIME types to associate files with applications.

## 5.1.2. Dragging and Dropping Icons

To copy or move a file, simply drag its icon to the desktop, to another kfm window, or to a folder icon. When you release the button, kfm displays a menu to allow you to choose to copy, move, or create a link to the file. Note that if you choose to create a link, KDE creates a Unix "symbolic link" (not a "hard link"), so if you move or delete the original file, the link will be broken.

Many KDE applications also support drag and drop operations: you can drag an icon onto a window of running application, or onto an icon of an application that is not started, to have the application open the file. Try it!

## 5.1.3. Setting File Properties

To change file properties, such as its name and permissions, right-click the icon and choose Properties from the menu.